On the evening of Thursday 16 October, Dr Oliver Pritchard-Moore delivered an invited talk on public engagement in plant engineering biology at the Securing the Future of Food event, organised by the Advanced Research + Invention Agency (ARIA) at Venture Café London to mark both UN World Food Day and the 80th anniversary of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The event brought together researchers, start-ups, investors, and industry leaders to explore the future of food security and to discuss how new technologies can catalyse positive change across the agricultural sector.
It is both a celebration of scientific and innovative achievements and a grounded discussion on how real world applications can be better translated into sustainable, just and efficient societal and ecological benefits.
Attendees were treated to a lively history of the potato from Ian Toth of the National Potato Centre, followed by hands-on demo stations from innovators including BioP, showcasing their late-blight- and virus-resistant potato—and Phytoform, who stimulated everyone’s intellectual and culinary appetites with gene-edited potato salad and tomato chutney tastings.
Dr Pritchard-Moore, Alan Houghton from the John Innes Centre, and Karen Sarkisyan of Syntato also shared insights into their research as ARIA-funded creators within the Programmable Plants programme.
Representing Futuring Biological Commons, Dr Pritchard-Moore highlighted the importance of engaging with the social and ethical concerns of synthetic plants. Noting the importance in public engagement to create a dialogue of respect, community, and commoning – the process of bringing together different but interested clusters of stakeholders to develop new social relations and regenerate social connections between one another. Essential in a world that is increasingly fragmented and divided by ideological differences but one that also sees current planetary challenges that could be tackled with biotechnologies.
Before returning to the demo stations attendees were treated to insights from scientific experts Freddie Theodoulou (Rothamsted Research), Rene Geurts (University of Wageningen), and Sonja Billerbeck (Imperial College London). Chaired by Fabrizio Ticchiarelli-Marjot from ARIA, the panel explored the challenges of funding, translating research into commercialised products, and echoing Oliver’s comments, highlighting the importance of public engagement in scientific innovation. Ensuring that stakeholders are involved early, that stakeholders become partners in the research and ensuring they are brought along as the science progresses.
Organised by Venture Café, a global space centred on encouraging innovation and community, supported by ARIA. Its certain these events will continue to inspire, draw people together, and share exciting innovative knowledge and research.
